character-creation
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Storyboard: Brother from another series
Some players and characters are nice enough to point out to you right away that they're not actually from around here. You know the ones -- the elves with long flowing blonde hair and names that imply some variation on legs and the non-presence of same are certainly a long-standing example. Of course, the people in question are rarely roleplaying, but that doesn't change the number of elven marksmen who are all the best in the world at hitting a target, never mind the "miss" result that pops up every so often when they nock their arrows. In fiction, they're called expys, short for exported characters. They're guest stars from elsewhere, and while most roleplayers have a name that's a bit more original than some variant on Legolas, they're no less common. After all, if you're inspired by a particularly good character and want to try playing him in a given environment, why wouldn't you just pick him up and transplant him? But there are good ways to do it and bad ways, just like there are far more ways to make dull and unlikable characters than interesting ones. So follow on past the break for a look at how to make your expy fall into the "interesting homage" camp rather than the "xx_Legolas_xx" camp.
Storyboard: Problem children
Sometimes you have a character concept that just doesn't quite work. We've talked about that before, at least in the context of trying to make sure your awesome new idea doesn't wind up on your list of discarded alts. But there are also times when the concept is problematic long before you get as far as playing. There are certain archetypes and ideas that just do not work for various reasons or that (at the very least) require your square-peg character to be shoved in the roundest of holes. The loner, of course, is the classic archetype that people love to play without its ever working correctly. It's hard to have a proper loner in an environment where socializing is necessary. But there are other problem types that aren't highlighted as often, sometimes because they're not as common, and sometimes because the people who want to play these concepts get very enthusiastic about them. Here, then, are some of the major problem children among character archetypes, as well as some suggestions about how to make them work right after all.
The Road to Mordor: Do-over! Do-over!
This past week I took a break from kowtowing to the haughty elves of Lothlórien and their super-secret elf club to start up a couple alts. It was ultimately a good decision, as I ended up both digging my new lore-master and getting to sample first-hand the many changes that Turbine made to the new player experience. In mega-patches like this recent one, revamping the starter experience tends to be overlooked by all. Unless they're itching to roll an alt -- like I am -- current players won't be on hand to witness the changes, and completely new players to the game lack the knowledge of how it used to be in order to appreciate how it's been improved. But unsung improvements or no, Turbine's done an excellent job of smoothing out an already-engaging lowbie journey with a startling number of tweaks. I certainly didn't expect there to be so many, but since I have done the 1-20 run umpteen times in the past few years, it felt like a breath of fresh air to me. So what's all sparkly and different? Is the road to Mordor paved with good decisions (see what I did there)? Reroll a baby-faced adventurer with me and hit the jump!
Earthrise dev diary details character builds
Bulgaria-based Masthead Studios, the developers behind the upcoming Earthrise sci-fi sandbox, have checked in with German fansite OnlineWelten for the second in a series of dev journals designed to shed more light on the enigmatic title. This week's piece focuses on character builds and details an avatar named Tommie who provides a jumping-off point for examining a few of the skill and gear options available to residents of Enterra. Tommie uses a combination of power armor and speed armor (Nova and Quicksilver, respectively), highlighting the ability to mix and match equipment bonuses in Earthrise. The character also uses a combination of weapon types including a long-range sniper rifle and short-range blades for melee encounters. The article also specifies a number of attack and buff abilities, though the Masthead team takes pains to elaborate on its desire to keep buffs in check. "We want to make sure that everyone knows that in Earthrise, buffs have very, very low durations and if you imagine having 10 of them at the same time -- well, this could prove quite difficult," says the article. Stealth on over to the full article for more details, including snippets regarding combat medic, assault, and concentration skills.
Kitsu Saga shows off character options and a preview trailer
Kitsu Saga, the newest free-to-play game from Aeria Games, is currently still in the midst of beta. While we were a bit unfamiliar with the game when it was first announced -- which is to say completely unaware of it -- we've just been given both a preview trailer for the game (embedded after the cut) and a small gallery of images showing off the range of body types available to players during character creation. According to the development team, characters can be aged as well as having different body types, which has a direct impact on the character's abilities. A middle-aged and heavily muscled man will have better physical stats at creation than a willowy little girly man, for example. Aside from character creation, both the gallery and the trailer show off the clean and cartoonish style of the game's graphics. Take a look past the cut for the trailer, and keep an eye as more news comes out about the coming Kitsu Saga. %Gallery-102068%
The Daily Grind: How do you like your character customization?
SOE's Jens Andersen recently provoked a bit of a discussion with his comments on DC Universe Online's character customization options. In a nutshell, he intimated that they're somewhat limited initially and devoid of excessive "fluff" in order to give players something to strive for as they build their avatars. This is something of a departure from the tradition established by earlier superhero MMOs. City of Heroes and Champions Online both feature absurdly awesome amounts of individuality and costume customization potential. Even older, non-superhero games such as Aion and Star Wars Galaxies are renowned for the unique looks possible with their extensive character creation tools. That, dear Massively readers, brings us to the question of the day. Do you buy into Andersen's theory that costume and character individuality is a worthwhile carrot, or do you prefer the CoH/Champions method of options, options, and more options from the get-go? How do you like your character customization?
PAX 2010: How to build LEGO Universe, piece by piece
The world of LEGO is being destroyed by the mighty Maelstrom. Imagination is being sucked into its evil vortex, and only you and your friends can stop it! Customize your minifig to fit your personality, choose your favorite faction, and launch into battle against Maelstrom and its minions. Save imagination! LEGO Universe Online is the LEGO brand's first leap into the MMO genre. After LEGO's success with single-player games, such as the extremely popular Star Wars and Indiana Jones series, it only seems natural for the company to jump into the massively multiplayer universe. The design team of over 150 people has built a wild and whimsical world, Brick and Knob by Brick and Knob, and the crazy thing is, you can add to this world, too. At PAX, LEGO was kind enough to give me a personal guided tour through this universe of adventure and creativity. Follow me after the break as I guide you through my hands-on with LEGO Universe Online.%Gallery-101842%
Rift character creation detailed, with HD videos
We here at Massively are becoming ever more excited for Rift: Planes of Telara. The more information that Trion Worlds reveals about the upcoming fantasy MMORPG, the more we crave. Ciovala, webmaster of Riftnexus.com, sends word of a new hands-on review of the title from the recent Gamescom 2010 in Cologne, Germany. The initial segment of the multi-part article touches on aspects of character creation and the title's user interface, with more to follow on the game world and gameplay in future installments. Much like we did with our own recent Rift hands-on, the reviewer came away impressed. The piece also features two high-definition video segments, both dealing with character customization and both viewable after the cut or on YouTube.
Massively's hands-on with Rift: Planes of Telara's dynamic content
Just a few weeks ago, I was invited to attend Trion Worlds' Gamer's Day in San Francisco to get some hands-on time with a couple of the company's upcoming titles, including Rift: Planes of Telara. If Rift seems to have come out of nowhere, that might be due both to the acquisition of EverQuest II veteran Scott Hartsman to head the project as executive producer, and to a clever name change meant to reflect the team's shift in development focus. In fact, that shift in development focus is precisely what I was at Trion's studio to test -- I got to check out the Rifts themselves in all their glory, in the context of the greater dynamic content system that the developers are so excited about. Massively's writers have been able to play and report on character creation and the starting areas of Rift several times over the last year or so, including earlier this summer at E3. But until today's embargo lift (coinciding with the reveal at Gamescom), no one had quite seen the fabled planar invasions and takeovers in action. Now we have.
First Impressions: City of Heroes Going Rogue
To hear the team talk about it, Going Rogue isn't simply an expansion for City of Heroes but a full-on reboot of the game in general. It's hard to see how, on some level; outside of the new powersets and a new starting area, not much is visibly being added with the expansion. But sitting down and playing through the starting area and the game's opening suddenly feels like an entirely different experience. It's not a new game -- but it feels like a leap forward from where the game had been just a few days before. I didn't get nearly as much time with the Going Rogue beta as I would have liked, and I'll be the first to admit that I'm biased when it comes to City of Heroes. But even with those standards set, I was impressed right away with how the game has been revamped from the start -- and what these revamps mean for the game as a whole and moving forward. Click on past the cut for the first impressions of the latest expansion, which launches today. (Coincidental, yes?) %Gallery-99455%
Completing the look in Final Fantasy XIV
It's only been a day since Final Fantasy XIV's newest round of beta started up, but the first day included the announcement that screenshots and experiences from beta could be shared freely. So, as one can imagine, there's plenty of information being shared all over the internet. Today has seen the intrepid staff at FFXIVCore delving into the depths of the character creator, testing the limits of just how powerful it really is. It's not just a significant upgrade from Final Fantasy XI, but quite a potent tool in its own right. Of course, the one thing that can't be shared from the beta is video... but that doesn't mean you have to go without moving pictures. Dovetailing nicely with an article on illustrating your character is the newest installment of Square-Enix's Making of Eorzea videos, this one focusing on equipment variations to keep every character looking distinct. The video is embedded past the cut, and should provide both familiar and new looks for Final Fantasy XIV's eager audience.
Wings Over Atreia: Living la vida Asmo
Now, it is oft heard that "Asmos don't get no lovin'!" Perusing threads, or even listening to faction-hoppers in game, you hear many complaints that Asmodians have it just that much harder than their fair-winged counterparts -- that Asmodae is harder to level in than Elysea, the Elyos have better mobs, easier quests, better loot, more press time, and so on. Basically, that the Elyos race is the "favorite child." In the interest of representing both factions in Aion, I gave readers the chance to choose my class as I ventured into Asmodae as a black-winged beauty (sorry folks, I just can't bring myself to create a male character). And the votes are in! Your choice for my new persona is --drum roll -- priest! While I was excited to delve into the class, a part of me wondered if there was an ulterior motive to this choice... a cry for more healers among the Asmodians, perhaps? Regardless of the reasoning behind it, yours truly slipped out of Elysea and into Asmodae. While it will take me a while (since I am not a power-grinder), I am going to take you along with me as we journey through life on the dark side, comparing the leveling on each side of the planet. In this installment, we are looking at Asmodian life from creation to ascension. Follow across the cut to join me in my very first clawed footsteps, as well as a hint to maximize your experience at beginning levels.
Storyboard: A man of many talents
Rejoice! After the columns of the last two weeks, the specter of relationships has been forever vanquished! (We're using "forever" in the same sense you'd see it in a comic book here. In other words, give it a month.) Diving back into the haphazard series on character creation, today we'll be taking a look at generating a character based solidly upon their abilities -- a method that seems a bit odd at first glance and almost ridiculously simple upon further consideration. Think about it for a moment. If someone asks you to describe yourself, odds are excellent that you don't start with a recounting of your personality or your history unless you're on a date. Most times, you start with what you do -- hobbies, profession, and any other pertinent diversions on the road toward the grave. It's not a real cognitive leap from being accountants, clerks, and waiters to being warriors, mages, and rogues. The big question is extrapolating backward from the ability to figure out the sort of person who would go into the profession in the first place. Because it's such a broad field, in fact, I'm going to take a look at it from three different angles.
Exploring Eberron: Rolling the right character for you
Who are you whippersnappers? Get off my lawn or I'll blast ye into kingdom come! Shoo! I mean, howdy! Sorry, I got a little startled there. We just found out this morning that Rubi, your faithful DDO columnist, was captured by a beholder and locked away in a level 20 dungeon. While the Massively DDO guild, OnedAwesome, faithfully levels up in a rescue attempt (every Wednesday night, 9pm eastern/8pm central!), I've been drafted to keep the column going until victory is assured. Considering that a vast majority of my personal DDO resume is confined to levels 1 through 10, I have a soft spot for the newbie experience. And seeing how many fledgling dungeoneers are flocking to DDO these days, I figured I'd go back to the beginning to walk new players through the first week of the game. For you veterans out there, this would be a great time to (a) point out how much I say is completely wrong, and (b) offer up your own tips and advice in the comments section. Today, let's start with one of the most vital decisions you'll ever make in the game: rolling a character. Hit the jump and let's hope for all 20s!
New LotRO screens give a peek at free-to-play
The Lord of the Rings Online free-to-play beta is well underway, and much of the game has gotten a makeover. Turbine released a set of screenshots today showing a bit of the game's new look. Wondering what character creation in LotRO F2P will look like? What about quests that have to be unlocked via LotRO Store purchases? The new images answer those questions as well as giving a feel for what Middle-earth will look like once things change. If you're interested in getting a firsthand look at things, beta signups for LotRO free-to-play are still going on, so visit the site, and check out the gallery below for the free-to-play screenshots. %Gallery-97576%
Review: APB (Day 1: Welcome to San Paro)
Review Diary Day 1: Welcome to San Paro Day 2: Enforcers, get enforcin' Day 3: Choose your illusion Day 4: Cards on the table Reviewing an MMO is a famously tough thing to do. The things that make a good massively multiplayer game (a strong update schedule, a solid community, and a mechanic that supports gameplay across a wide audience) are tough to quantify in a one-shot writeup. Many outlets avoid the task completely, leaving the judgment of newly-released MMOs to their own communities. If an online game floats, it's good, goes the conventional wisdom. If it sinks, it wasn't any good anyway. But reviewing a game can shine a harsh light on its weaknesses, put a spotlight on its best features and help bring attention to lesser-known yet still deserving titles. Despite its differences from more traditional boxed products, don't MMOs deserve the same treatment? So, in that spirit, we're presenting a review for All Points Bulletin, the latest game and first MMO from developer Dave Jones and his Realtime Worlds. MMOs are an evolving investment in both time and money, so rather than a simple writeup, I'll have a few posts over this week to look at all of the different aspects of the game critically. Today, I'll install the game and create my character. Tomorrow, I'll talk about the actual grind and how it works. Thursday will cover the game's community and customization options, and Friday will feature APB's current state and Realtime Worlds' future plans for the title, along with final impressions and the overall review score. %Gallery-65497%
APB's Human Avatar brings character customization to real life
If you've played APB at all, you know that one of its standout features is the character customization. You could easily treat character customization as a game in itself. The only thing that would make it more fun is if you could do it in real life, right? Okay, you probably weren't thinking that, but the Realtime Worlds team is, and they're going to make it happen with your help. The Human Avatar is a three-week-long project that begins with players voting on the real-life subject, then continuing the process by voting on his customization: hair, piercings, clothing, even tattoos. You'll watch the event happen through photo and video updates, and at the end, the subject will be recreated in APB. it's an interesting concept and will certainly merit watching in the coming weeks. Check out all the details -- and get a first look at the candidates for customization -- at the Human Avatar site.
APB offers some short videos on customization
When it comes to an urban crime MMO, customization may not seem like it would necessarily be the most important aspect. However, in Realtime Worlds' upcoming urban MMO, All Points Bulletin, the team designing the game obviously felt that customization should be a huge part of the experience. Aside from having an incredibly powerful character creator that allows you to control aspects you don't normally see (like ear size), they also offer players ways to customize clothing and cars, design graffiti, and create personalized music. We figure their thinking was that this level of customization would help to create a more realistic, immersive world. After all, with this many options, there should be much less of a chance for players to look anything like each other -- a sharp contrast to the cookie-cutter appearances created by raid gear sets in other MMOs. Besides, if you're going to be in a gang, the idea of splashing your tag all over the place -- or alternatively, creating a sign warning the gangs you're coming to get them -- seems like it would be a no-brainer thing to have in an urban game. For those interested in seeing more details about the levels of customization available in All Points Bulletin, you can find all the shiny new videos bundled up behind the break for your ocular gratification.
New video highlights character creation in Final Fantasy XIV
The funny thing about Final Fantasy XIV is that even though it's going to be notably different from its predecessor, most of the previews we've seen have focused on points of similarity to Final Fantasy XI. But the most recent new release of information should help silence some of the comparisons -- it's a video of character generation. While accompanied by something of a silly spy motif, the focus is clearly on creating a character -- and even just with a single Mito'qe, the creator clearly has a great deal of power. Some of the hairstyles on display will be recognizable to veterans of Final Fantasy XI, some will not -- but the comparisons end there. Characters have a number of different values to adjust, ranging from the obvious (hair styles) to the subtle (you can have separately colored highlights for your hair, if you wish). The YouTube video is embedded after the cut, and it should be an entertaining seven minutes for anyone anticipating Final Fantasy XIV.
Storyboard: Everybody starts somewhere
Welcome back to another edition of Storyboard! This week, and for the next couple of weeks, we're going to be talking about generating characters. It's a far cry from building characters in a pen-and-paper game, naturally -- MMOs don't tend to require you to make choices about things like specialization until you've been playing for some time, and the generation system isn't tremendously open. And we're not focused on working out the best possible stat combination in this column, anyway. We're concerned about the actual person behind the (eventual) Sword of Godslaying. So where to start? Let's just assume you're staring at a basic character creation screen and trying to figure out who you're going to be adopting as your newest persona. There are three basic starting points for developing a character that work in nearly every game, and they let you start off with a character who might not be fully realized, but certainly can feel that way. We'll look at each of them in turn today and focus on the specifics in the coming weeks.
